Ninja Gaiden 3
Ninja Gaiden 3 is an action-adventure video game developed by Team Ninja and published by Tecmo Koei. It is the sequel to Ninja Gaiden II and was released worldwide for the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360 in March 2012. Ninja Gaiden 3 is the first title in the series not to be directed by Tomonobu Itagaki since Ninja Gaiden Shadow in 1991. In his place is the designer of the Sigma series, Yosuke Hayashi. Plot The game explores Ryu Hayabusa's more human side as he descends into a hellish realm. The history involving the Fiends and Archfiends from the previous titles is not explored this time around, and instead involves a mysterious cult of alchemists seeking to destroy the world as we know it and create a new world order, with Ryu as the catalyst. Gameplay The game features new mechanics and changes. Such new features include "Steel on Bone", a new visual cinematic trick which allows players to cut through the body during a slow-motion sequence. The new Kunai Climb involves Ryu climbing onto certain walls with the use of his kunai, which he can use to attack enemies from above. In other situations the player has to be stealthy, as Ryu can now sneak up on an enemy and kill him with a single strike. Enemies speak while fighting and do not die quickly, and they suffer and scream in pain when injured. They are no longer decapitated or dismembered, instead they just bleed and weaken. Some changes include the slide manoeuver, which replaces the Reverse Wind Technique from the previous games. Ryu uses it to get through small passages as well as to attack enemies. The Ultimate Technique concept has slightly changed in the form of Ryu's cursed right arm known as the Grip of the Murder. When he kills a specific number of enemies his arm glows red. Then, the player can charge up for an ultimate attack that is fueled by absorbing nearby fallen bodies instead of essence. Unlike past games, the HUD appears only when Ryu is engaged in battle, then fades out later. The Muramasa store is no longer present; Ryu gets different swords over the course of the game. He also has access to his shuriken and a high-tech bow; arrows for the bow are also improved as the game progresses. Both projectile weapons have infinite ammo. Items are virtually non-existent. The Dragon Statues that allowed Ryu to save and heal are replaced by a scripted Falcon who swoops down to Ryu's hand and saves at specific points in the level, restoring his health to full as well. The Ninpo concept has been revamped. In the single-player mode, Ryu has access to only one Ninpo that transforms him into a dragon. To activate it, the player must first defeat enemies to fill up a bar beneath the healthbar. Once it is full, the player can activate the Ninpo and kill all onscreen enemies at once, restoring Ryu's life in the process. The amount of health gained depends on how many enemies were left when the Ninpo was cast. In the multiplayer modes (both co-op and competitive), there are other Ninpo available, such as the Art of the Piercing Void. Both the PlayStation 3 and Wii U version of Ninja Gaiden 3 have optional control schemes. The Wii U version may be played with touchscreen controls similar to that of Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword to take advantage of its unique controller. The PS3 version has PlayStation Move compatibility to give players "a new visceral edge when battling and slicing through their enemy's flesh and bone." Development The game was announced at a closed-door event at the Tokyo Game Show 2010, with only one image shown. A teaser poster depicting a blood ridden Ryu pulling on his mask was released thereafter. The director Yosuke Hayashi said: “He seems to be doing something with right hand. Also, there’s something not normal about this hand. It’s covered in blood, but there’s something unnatural regarding the blood.” Hayashi later gave more details: "Ryu is unmasking himself, and it's a way of attracting people to his world. We are trying to have people enter the real Ryu Hayabusa. The amount of blood doesn't revolve around the idea of killing people, either; it could also be Ryu's blood. We're focusing not only on cutting people but also Ryu himself." The development team did not include an ability to dismember limbs, which was a key graphical element of the previous modern games. A Team Ninja staff member stated that "people do not want to see that anymore" and so they had removed it from the game. At Electronic Entertainment Expo 2011, it was revealed that the game features competitive and cooperative multiplayer modes with one or both modes supporting up to eight players. According to Hayashi, the game's difficulty was not being toned down for casual gamers. The game's story was written by Masato Kato, who wrote the plotline and designed graphics for the original Ninja Gaiden trilogy for the Nintendo Entertainment System. Hayashi mentioned that characters from the NES series would appear. Robert, a notable character from Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos, makes a cameo as a pilot who helps Ryu jump onto another jet. A demo of the fighting game Dead or Alive 5, packaged with Ninja Gaiden 3, features Ryu Hayabusa, Ayane, Hayate and Hitomi. The Xbox 360 version of the demo allows the use of Hayabusa and Hitomi, while the PlayStation 3 version makes Hayate and Ayane playable.[11] The collector's edition of Ninja Gaiden 3 makes all four characters playable. Koei Tecmo Wave released a new statuette of Ryu battling one of the game's bosses. It was included with Ninja Gaiden 3 Collector's Edition available in the United States at GameStop and EB Games, and the United Kingdom along with an art book, soundtrack CD, and a premium code for the full Dead or Alive 5 demo. Three downloadable content packs released through April 2012 contain new weapons, armor and headgear costume customization items and "Ninja Trials" minigames. Reception Ninja Gaiden 3 was met with generally mixed reviews, with most criticism aimed at the game being too streamlined. Aggregating review websites GameRankings and Metacritic gave the Xbox 360 version 58.57% and 58/100 and the PlayStation 3 version 53.19% and 58/100. GameSpot gave the game a 5.5 out of 10 rating, calling it "a shallow action game with little of the series' challenge and depth". IGN gave the game a 3 out of 10, calling it "a technical disaster". On the other hand, Official Xbox Magazine gave it an 8 out of 10, praising the combat and graphics, but criticizing the streamlined approach and the ending. Links *Official website Category:2012 video games